“Fortnite” maker Epic Games filed its second antitrust lawsuit against Google on Monday, accusing the search giant of illegally colluding with smartphone giant Samsung to stifle app developers.
Led by CEO Tim Sweeney, Epic won a stunning antitrust victory last December after a jury determined that Google was operating illegal monopolies in its Google Play app store and in-app billing system used by Android devices.
A federal judge is expected to order sweeping changes to Google’s business practices in the near future.
In the new antitrust lawsuit filed in California federal court, Epic focused on a Samsung feature called “Auto Blocker,” which is enabled by default on the company’s smartphones and blocks users from downloading apps outside of the Google Play store or The lesser-known Samsung Galaxy. The shop.
Users must follow an “extremely difficult 21-step process to download an app outside of the Google Play Store or Samsung Galaxy Store,” Epic said in a blog post after the lawsuit was announced.
“Auto Blocker is virtually guaranteed to entrench Google’s dominance over Android App Distribution by preventing third-party app stores, such as the Epic Games Store, from reaching any significant audience on Android,” the lawsuit states.
Auto Blocker was enabled by default on Samsung devices starting in July 2024.
Epic claimed the feature would reduce the jury’s verdict in its earlier lawsuit if allowed to stand.
The North Carolina-based firm is seeking unspecified monetary damages, as well as an injunction blocking Samsung and Google from “anti-competitive and unfair conduct and compelling Samsung to take all necessary steps to cease such conduct.” and to restore competition”.
Google did not immediately return a request for comment.
A Samsung spokesperson said the company “actively promotes market competition, increases consumer choice and conducts its operations fairly” and plans to “vigorously counter Epic Game’s baseless claims.”
“The features built into our devices are designed in accordance with Samsung’s core principles of security, privacy and user control, and we remain fully committed to protecting users’ personal data,” the spokesperson said. “Users have the right to disable the automatic blocker at any time.”
Samsung doesn’t allow third parties to qualify as an “authorized source” that would be excluded from Auto Blocker, the lawsuit alleges.
“Allowing this unlawful coordinated anticompetitive agreement to continue harms developers and consumers and undermines the jury’s verdict and regulatory and legislative progress around the world,” Epic Games said in a blog post after the lawsuit was announced.
Epic’s latest legal challenge marks another headache for Google, which is in the midst of an unprecedented blow to its business in the US and abroad.
In August, a federal judge sided with the Justice Department and determined that Google operates an illegal monopoly over the Internet search market.
The judge is expected to announce solutions to address the anti-competitive practices by next summer.
A second DOJ antitrust action targeting Google’s alleged monopoly over digital ad technology is also underway.
Closing arguments in that case are scheduled for November.
In both DOJ cases, the feds are expected to seek a forced breakup of the Google empire.
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